Support instrument and sensor kit

Abstract

To solve the problem that although a support instrument is preferably mounted so that the center of a bag body is aligned with the center of a nail of a finger to achieve effective compression by the support instrument, the centers are significantly deviated from each other depending on a size of the finger.SOLUTION: A support instrument attached to a finger of a subject for supporting acquisition of biological information on the subject, includes: a support body disposed on a first side of the finger when attached; a bag body disposed on a second side which is a side opposite to the first side with the finger in between; and a fluid channel communicated with the inside of the bag body. The first side is one of a cushion side of the finger and a nail side of the finger, and the second side is the other of the cushion side of the finger and the nail side of the finger. A biological information detector for acquiring the biological information can be disposed between the finger and the support body, and between the finger and the bag body. The support body is provided with a spacer so that the finger does not enter a hinge part side on a fingertip side of the bag body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an assistive tool that is worn on a finger of a subject to assist in acquisition of biological information of the subject by a sensor. The present invention also relates to a sensor kit that acquires biological information of the subject by using the assistive tool. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of acquiring biological information is the measurement of capillary refill time. Capillary refill time is considered a simple index for evaluating the presence or absence of shock, and is a method that is widely used in the field of emergency medicine, such as determining the need for infusion and triage (priority assessment when multiple injuries occur). Specifically, a medical professional applies pressure to the subject's biological tissue, such as the fingertip, and visually checks the change in color of the nails and skin after the pressure is released. If the original color returns within about two seconds, it is determined to be in a normal state. However, since this method involves applying pressure to biological tissue with the hand and visually checking the change in skin color, it lacks quantitativeness and is prone to errors caused by the person measuring.

[0003] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, a bioinformation acquisition system using a sensor is used to identify the capillary refill time of a subject. In the bioinformation acquisition system of Patent Document 1, a sensor is attached to the subject's finger by an assisting tool, and the pressure on the finger is changed by the bag of the assisting tool to acquire bioinformation from the sensor. In addition, the assisting tool of Patent Document 2 has a support and a bag, and the hinge part is bent with the first side of the subject's finger placed on the support, and the bag is placed on the second side of the finger. At this time, a light emitting device is placed on one of the pad side and the nail side of the finger, and a light receiving device is placed on the other. Then, the capillary refill time is identified from the change in the light receiving intensity of the light receiving device when the pressure by the bag is released. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6554459 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7066485 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In order to compress the subject's finger, it is desirable to wear the tool so that the center of the bag is aligned with the center of the fingernail on which the sensor's light emitting and receiving devices are located. However, because the subject's fingertip is located near the hinge, depending on the size of the finger, the center of the nail and the center of the bag may be significantly misaligned, making it difficult to apply compression with the bag. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an assistive device that is worn on a finger of a subject to assist in obtaining biometric information of the subject, the assistive device comprising: a support that is positioned on a first side of the finger when worn; a bag body that is positioned on a second side opposite the first side across the finger; and a fluid passage that communicates with the inside of the bag body, the first side being one of the pad side of the finger and the nail side of the finger, and the second side being the other of the pad side of the finger and the nail side of the finger, a biometric information detector for obtaining the biometric information can be positioned between the finger and the support body, and between the finger and the bag body, and a spacer is provided on the support body to prevent the finger from entering the side of the hinge portion on the fingertip side of the bag body. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The above-described support tool allows the bag body to apply appropriate pressure without causing a significant misalignment between the center of the nail and the center of the bag body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a finger is inserted into a conventional support tool. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a conventional support tool with a finger inserted and a lid closed. [Diagram 3]FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional support tool with a finger inserted to close the lid. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state before a finger is inserted into an assistive device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a finger is inserted into the support tool according to the embodiment of the present invention and the lid is closed. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a situation in which bioinformation is acquired using the support tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] <Conventional support tools> FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a finger F is inserted into a conventional support tool 5. A bioinformation detector for acquiring bioinformation of a subject is attached to the finger F. The bioinformation detector in this example is a so-called pulse photometer probe, and is formed by a light emitting device 21 and a light receiving device 23. In FIG. 1, the light emitting device 21 is attached to the nail N, and the light receiving device 23 is hidden under the finger F. The sensor device 2 has the light emitting device 21, a wiring 22 connected to the light emitting device 21, a light receiving device 23, and a wiring 24 connected to the light receiving device 23. The light emitting device 21 is an LED attached to the nail N. The light receiving device 23, which is hidden by the finger F, is attached to the side of the pad B of the finger. The light emitting device 21 emits light toward the light receiving device 23, and the transmitted light is received by the light receiving device 23, and a light receiving signal is sent to the wiring 24. The sensor device 2 is attached by taping around the finger F with tape (not shown).

[0010] The support tool 5 is attached to the subject's finger F and applies pressure to the finger F to support acquisition of the subject's biological information from the sensor device 2. The support tool 5 includes a support 51, a cover 52, and a hinge portion 53 that connects the support 51 and the cover 52. The support tool 5 in FIG. 1 is in a state in which the cover 52 is open and before the finger F is placed in a state in which it can be pressed inside the support 51. The support 51 has side walls 512 rising from both sides of a bottom wall 511, and the finger F is accommodated between the side walls 512 with the pad B of the finger attached to the bottom wall 511 via tape (not shown).

[0011] The lid 52 is provided with a lid base 521, a bag membrane 522, and a band 523. Two bands 523 extend laterally from each side of the lid base 521. A part of the lid base 521 and the bag membrane 522 form a bag 52a. The inside of the bag 52a is connected to the inside of the tube 3. By bending the hinge portion 53 and placing the lid 52 over the support 51, the support tool 5 can place a biological information detector, which is a sensor for acquiring biological information, between the finger F and the support 51 and between the finger F and the bag 52a.

[0012] 2 shows a state in which the lid 52 in FIG. 1 is rotated as indicated by the dotted arrow R by bending the hinge portion 53 and placed on the support 51. A part of the lid base 521 protrudes to form a fluid passage 521a inside. A tube 3 for supplying compressed air is connected to the fluid passage 521a. A hook-and-loop fastener (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of the four band portions 523 and on the outer surface of the support 51, and the finger F can be fixed inside the support tool 5 by wrapping the band portions 523 around the outer surface of the support 51 from the state shown in FIG. 2 and fixing the lid 52 to the support 51.

[0013] Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional support tool 5 with a finger F inserted and the lid 52 closed. In Fig. 3, the support tool 5 is shown in cross section, and the finger F and the sensor tool 2 such as the light-emitting device 21 are shown from the side. The light-emitting device 21 is attached to the nail N of the finger F, and the light-receiving device 23 is attached to the pad B side of the finger by taping. Note that the tape taped around the finger F and the sensor tool 2 is also omitted in Fig. 3. Although not shown, in the state of Fig. 3, the band 523 is wrapped around the outer surface of the support 51, and the lid 52 is fixed to the support 51 by a hook-and-loop fastener (not shown).

[0014] In FIG. 3, the hinge portion 53 is bent and the lid 52 covers the top of the finger F. In the lid 52, a bag membrane 522 is attached around the lower surface of the lid base 521 to form a bag 52a as shown by a dotted ellipse. A fluid passage 521a formed in the upper part of the lid base 521 communicates with the inside of the bag 52a, and the opposite side communicates with the inside of the tube 3. The finger F positioned under the bag 52a has the pad B in contact with the bottom wall 511 of the support 51 and the tip reaches the rising portion 513 of the support 51. The upper end of the rising portion 513 rising on the tip side of the finger F is connected to the hinge portion 53.

[0015] 3, compressed air is supplied from the tube 3 to the bag body 52a as shown by the arrow A, and the bag membrane 522 bulges downward. However, the bag body center line Cb, which is the center line of the bag body 52a, does not pass through the nail N, and the nail center line Cn is significantly offset from the bag body center line Cb, so that the light emitting device 21 installed on the nail N and the light receiving device 23 located below it are significantly offset from the bag body center line Cb. In this state, the pressure from the bag body 52a does not easily act on the nail N, making it difficult to measure the capillary refill time.

[0016] <Support tool of embodiment> FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state before a finger F is inserted into the support tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A bioinformation detector for acquiring bioinformation of a subject is attached to the finger F. The bioinformation detector in this embodiment is a so-called pulse photometer probe, and is formed by a light emitting device 21 and a light receiving device 23. In FIG. 4, the light emitting device 21 is attached to the nail N, and the light receiving device 23 is hidden under the finger F. The sensor device 2 has the light emitting device 21, a wiring 22 connected to the light emitting device 21, a light receiving device 23, and a wiring 24 connected to the light receiving device 23. The light emitting device 21 is an LED attached to the nail N. The light receiving device 23, which is hidden by the finger F, is attached to the side of the pad B of the finger. The light emitting device 21 emits light toward the light receiving device 23, and the transmitted light is received by the light receiving device 23, and a light receiving signal is sent to the wiring 24. The sensor device 2 is attached by taping around the finger F with tape (not shown).

[0017] The support tool 1 is attached to the subject's finger F and applies pressure to the finger F to support the acquisition of biological information of the subject from the sensor instrument 2. The support tool 1 includes a support 11, a cover 12, and a hinge portion 13 that connects the support 11 and the cover 12. The support tool 1 in FIG. 4 is in a state in which the cover 12 is open, and is in a state before the finger F is made pressable inside the support 11. The support 11 has side walls 112 rising from both sides of a bottom wall 111, and the finger F is accommodated between the side walls 112, so that the pad B of the finger is attached to the bottom wall 111 via a tape (not shown). The sensor instrument 2 and the support tool 1 used here are combined and sold and distributed as a sensor kit.

[0018] The lid 12 is provided with a lid base 121, a bag membrane 122, and a belt portion 123. Two belt portions 123 extend laterally from each side of the lid base 121. A part of the lid base 121 and the bag membrane 122 form a bag 12a. The inside of the bag 12a is connected to the inside of the tube 3. By bending the hinge portion 13 and placing the lid 12 over the support 11, the support tool 1 can arrange a bioinformation detector, which is a sensor for acquiring bioinformation, between the finger F and the support 11 and between the finger F and the bag 12a. The upper end of the rising portion 113 rising toward the tip side of the finger F is connected to the hinge portion 13.

[0019] Unlike the conventional example, the support 11 of the support tool 1 in the embodiment has a spacer 14 in the rising portion 113 on the fingertip side. The spacers 14 are provided at two locations on the fingertip side of the support 11. Each spacer 14 is a thin plate on the side of the finger F, and has an inclined upper surface 141 that gradually descends from a position close to the hinge portion 13 of the rising portion 113, and a stopper surface 142 that descends further more sharply. In addition, a recess 111a is provided in the bottom wall 111.

[0020] 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the support tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention with a finger F inserted and the cover 12 closed as indicated by the dotted arrow R in FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, the support tool 1 is shown in cross section. A light-emitting device 21 is attached to the nail N of the finger F, and a light-receiving device 23 is attached to the pad B of the finger by taping. Note that the tape around the finger F and the sensor device 2 is also omitted in FIG. 5. In the state shown in FIG. 5, the band 123 is wrapped around the outer surface of the support 11 as in the conventional example, and the cover 12 is fixed to the support 11 by a hook-and-loop fastener (not shown).

[0021] In FIG. 5, the hinge portion 13 is bent and the lid 12 covers the finger F. In the lid 12, a bag membrane 122 is attached around the lower surface of the lid base 121 to form the bag 12a as shown by the dotted ellipse. A fluid passage 121a formed in the upper part of the lid base 121 communicates with the inside of the bag 12a, and the opposite side communicates with the inside of the tube 3. The pad B of the finger F located under the bag 12a contacts the bottom wall 111 of the support 11. The support 11 of the support tool 1 is provided with a spacer 14 so that the finger F does not enter the side of the hinge portion 13 on the fingertip side of the bag 12a. The tip of the finger F reaches the stopper surface 142 of the spacer 14. The light receiving device 23 is adapted to fit into a recess 111a provided in the bottom wall 111. In addition, due to the presence of the recess 111a, the finger F is pressed from above and the pad B of the finger fits into the recess 111a, making it difficult for the finger F to come off the support tool 1.

[0022] With the sensor instrument 2 and the assistive tool 1 attached to the finger F in this manner, the bioinformation is acquired by the bioinformation acquisition device 6. FIG. 6 shows a situation in which bioinformation is acquired using the assistive tool 1 of the embodiment. The assistive tool 1, the sensor instrument 2 consisting of the light-emitting device 21, the wiring 22, the light-receiving device 23 and the wiring 24, and the tube 3 are as shown in FIG. 5. The tube 3 and the wirings 22 and 24 are connected to the bioinformation acquisition device 6. The bioinformation acquisition device 6 includes an information acquisition unit 61, a pressure adjustment unit 62, a switch 63, and an information output unit 64. The information acquisition unit 61, the pressure adjustment unit 62, the switch 63, and the information output unit 64 are connected to each other inside the bioinformation acquisition device 6.

[0023] The information acquisition unit 61 is connected to the wiring 22 and 24, and the light emitting device 21 emits light to obtain the amount of light received by the light receiving device 23. This makes it possible to calculate the capillary refill time. In addition, since the sensor instrument 2 functions as a pulse oximeter probe, the information acquisition unit 61 can also measure non-invasive arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) and other biometric information can be obtained.

[0024] The tube 3 is connected to the pressure adjustment unit 62, which supplies compressed air to the inside of the tube 3 and releases the supplied compressed air by opening an air valve (not shown). In addition, the switch 63 is used to start acquiring bioinformation, and the information output unit 64 outputs the bioinformation acquired by the bioinformation acquisition device 6 to the outside as information data, display information, or audio information.

[0025] 6, when the switch 63 is pressed to turn ON, compressed air is supplied from the pressure adjustment unit 62 to the tube 3. The supplied compressed air inflates the bag body 12a of the support tool 1 and compresses the nail N of the finger F. This causes blood to be pushed out of the capillaries near the nail N. Then, the light emitted from the light-emitting device 21 is received by the light-receiving device 23 without much light absorption by the blood.

[0026] After a predetermined time has elapsed, the pressure adjustment unit 62 stops the supply of compressed air and releases the compressed air to reduce the pressure. This releases the pressure on the nail N from the bag body 12a of the support tool 1. Depending on the condition of the subject, blood may or may not return quickly to the capillaries near the nail N. The light emitted from the light emitting device 21 is absorbed differently depending on the state of blood return and is received by the light receiving device 23. The information acquiring unit 61 measures the capillary refill time based on the change in the amount of light received after the pressure adjustment unit 62 reduces the pressure. The information acquiring unit 61 also measures non-invasive arterial oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) and other biometric information can be obtained.

[0027] The capillary refill time and other biological information measured by the information acquisition unit 61 are output from the information output unit 64. This output can be in the form of information data, display information, audio information, or the like.

[0028] In this embodiment, in FIG. 5, the support 11 of the support tool 1 is provided with a spacer 14 so that the finger F does not enter the side of the hinge part 13 on the fingertip side of the bag body 12a. The tip of the finger F reaches the stopper surface 142 of the spacer 14. By pressing the tip of the finger F with the stopper surface 142 of the spacer 14, the position of the nail N is separated from the end of the bag body 12a located near the hinge part 13. The center of the nail N passes through approximately the bag body center line Cb. The nail center line Cn is a line perpendicular to the extension direction of the finger F from the center of the nail N toward the side of the finger pad B, and the light emitting device 21 and the light receiving device 23 are provided at approximately the position of the nail center line Cn. In FIG. 5, the bag body center line Cb and the nail center line Cn coincide with each other, and the bag body center line Cb passes through the light emitting device 21 and the light receiving device 23.

[0029] As described above, the presence of the spacer 14 causes the position of the finger F to move back from the end of the bag body 12a on the fingertip side, making it easier to align the nail N with the center position of the bag body 12a. This allows for stable refill time measurement through effective compression and release of compression. Although one spacer 14 is sufficient, if there are two spacers 14 as in the embodiment, the spacer 14 abuts at two points on the tip of the finger F when worn on the finger F, providing high stability and a comfortable fit.

[0030] Compressed air is supplied to the bag 12a in Fig. 5 from the tube 3 as indicated by the arrow A, and the bag membrane 122 bulges downward. The bag center line Cb, which is the center line of the bag 12a, passes through the nail N. In this state, the pressure from the bag 12a acts sufficiently on the nail N to expel blood from the capillaries. Therefore, the capillary refill time can be measured satisfactorily.

[0031] In the embodiment, the nail side of the spacer 14 has a gap G between the bag body 12a as shown in FIG. 5 so as not to interfere with the bag body 12a when the bag body 12a swells downward. The upper surface of the spacer 14 is an inclined upper surface 141 that gradually slopes downward from the hinge portion 13 toward the nail N, and a sufficient gap G is provided between the inclined upper surface 141 of the spacer 14 and the bag membrane 122 of the bag body 12a. Therefore, when the bag membrane 122 of the bag body 12a swells downward significantly, it can sufficiently press the nail N and the light emitting device 21 without interfering with the spacer 14. In addition, because there is a gap G due to the inclined upper surface 141, the finger F can be placed at an appropriate position on the support tool 1 even for a subject with a long nail N.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 5, when the support tool 1 is attached to the subject's finger F, the support 11 is disposed on the pad side and tip side of the finger. The pad side of the finger is an example of a first side of the finger. The bag body 12a is disposed on the nail side of the finger F. The nail side of the finger F is opposite to the pad side and is an example of a second side of the finger. The nail side of the finger F may be the first side of the finger, and the pad side of the finger may be the second side. In either case, the support 11 is disposed on the first side of the finger F when attached, and the bag body 12a is disposed on the second side, which is opposite to the first side across the finger F.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the belt portion 123 is formed of a pair of belt-shaped members extending from both sides of the bag body 12a. However, the belt portion 123 may be formed of a single belt-shaped member extending from one side of the bag body 12a. In this case, the single belt-shaped member is wound so as to extend from one side wall 112 to the other side wall 112 via the bottom wall 111.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the light emitting device 21 and the light receiving device 23 are disposed on the pad side and the nail side of the finger, respectively. However, the light emitting device 21 and the light receiving device 23 may be disposed on the nail side and the pad side of the finger F, respectively. Alternatively, the light emitting device 21 and the light receiving device 23 may both be disposed on either the nail side or the pad side of the finger F. In this case, it is possible to obtain biological information such as capillary refill time by receiving light reflected by the finger F.

[0035] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention includes design changes within the scope of the present invention. The above-mentioned examples can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purpose, configuration, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] F finger N Claw B Finger pad Cb bag center line Cn Claw center line G gap R dotted arrow A Arrow 1 Support equipment 11 Support 111 Bottom wall 111a Recess 112 Side wall 113 Start-up Department 12 Lid 12a Bag body 121 Lid base 121a Fluid passage 122 Pouch membrane 123 Belt 13 Hinge part 14 Spacer 141 Slanted top surface 142 Stopper surface 2 Sensor equipment 21 Light emitting device 22 Wiring 23 Photodetector 24 Wiring 3 Tubes 5 Support equipment 51 Support 511 Bottom wall 512 Side wall 513 Start-up Department 52 Lid 52a Bag body 521 Lid base 521a Fluid passage 522 Pouch membrane 523 Belt 53 Hinge part 6 Biometric information acquisition device 61 Information Acquisition Department 62 Pressure adjustment section 63 Switch 64 Information Output Section

Claims

1. An assistive device that is worn on a finger of a subject and assists in obtaining biological information of the subject, a support disposed on a first side of the finger when worn; A bag body that is disposed on a second side opposite to the first side across the finger; a fluid passageway communicating with the interior of the bag; Equipped with the first side is one of a pad side of the finger and a nail side of the finger; the second side being the other of the pad side of the finger and the nail side of the finger; A biological information detector for acquiring the biological information can be disposed between the finger and the support body and between the finger and the bag body, A spacer is provided on the support body so that the finger does not enter the side of the hinge portion on the fingertip side of the bag body. Support equipment.

2. The fingertip side of the support has a raised portion, The spacer is fixed to the raised portion on the fingertip side of the support body.

2. The support tool according to claim 1.

3. The second side of the spacer has a gap between the bag body and the second side so as not to interfere with the bag body when the bag body is inflated.

3. The support tool according to claim 2.

4. The bag body is provided on a lid body, The fingertip side of the lid body and the fingertip side of the support body are connected by a hinge portion.

4. The support tool according to claim 3.

5. The spacer is provided at two locations on the fingertip side of the support.

5. The support tool according to claim 1 .

6. a sensor device having a biological information detector for acquiring biological information of a subject; an assisting tool that is attached to a finger of the subject so as to accommodate the biological information detector and assists the sensor device in acquiring biological information of the subject; A sensor kit comprising: The support tool is a support disposed on a first side of the finger; a pouch disposed on a second side of the finger opposite the first side; a fluid passageway communicating with the interior of the bag; Equipped with the first side is one of a pad side of the finger and a nail side of the finger; the second side being the other of the pad side of the finger and the nail side of the finger; The biological information detector can be disposed between the finger and the support, and between the finger and the bag; A spacer is provided on the support body so that the finger does not enter the side of the support body on the fingertip side of the bag body. Sensor kit.

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